Calculator won the $100,000 Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds by 41/4 lengths Saturday at Santa Anita, giving the colt his first career victory in five tries.

Ridden by Elvis Trujillo, Calculator ran a mile in 1:34.88 and paid $3.20, $2.40 and $2.20 as the 3-5 favorite, stamping himself as a top-tier hopeful on the Kentucky Derby trail.

Calculator broke from post position seven in the eight-horse field and pounced on the leaders three-wide midway around the far turn before taking command three-sixteenths of a mile from the finish.

“It was a perfect trip,” Trujillo said. “I went wide because I’d rather go wide than be in-between horses or caught inside. I wanted a clean trip. He did it very easy. Stretching out will be no problem for him; he’s very good.”

Calculator was coming off two straight second-place finishes behind highly regarded American Pharoah in the FrontRunner Stakes on Sept. 27 and the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3.

“I didn’t expect him to be this good,” Miller said. “I was hoping he was good enough to win at 90 percent (fitness). The water gets deeper from here on out, so we’re going to have to step up our game and move forward off of this one.”

Miller said he would consider starting Calculator in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 7.

Rock Shandy returned $10.60 and $5.40, while Pioneerof the West was another 4 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $6 to win.

Trained by Peter Miller, Calculator was running against horses that had won races before. The colt earned 10 points for the win and moved into a tie for second with 14 points total on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard that determines the 20-horse field for the May 2 race.

St. Joe Bay was fourth, followed by Papacoolpapacool, Hero Ten All, Unblunted and Rockinatten.

The victory, worth $60,000, increased Calculator’s career earnings to $193,500.

“I went by the barn this morning and he bit me,” said Pell, who has owned horses since 2008 and earned his second graded stakes win. “I took it as a good sign. Usually when they do that, I have them gelded, just kidding.”

Hoppertunity knocks

Under a ground-saving, patient ride from Martin Garcia, favored Hoppertunity rolled to an impressive 1¾ length win in the Grade II, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita as he negotiated 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.69.

Well back off of fractions of 23.40, 46.35, 1:10.29, and 1:35.17, the Bob Baffert-trained Hoppertunity was fourth at the quarter pole and roared up the rail to take command a furlong out.

“He (Garcia) saved ground with him, he didn’t panic,” said Baffert, who got his fifth career San Pasqual win. “He rode a really smart race today, it was good … We had this race in mind. We know every race is going to be different, so we’ll just let him space his races out. He could show up anywhere–I don’t know yet.”

When asked if the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7 would be considered, Baffert responded, “It could be. Anything’s a consideration. He’ll be nominated everywhere and we know he ships well.”

Off at 4-5 in a field of 11 older horses, Hoppertunity, who came off a career-best win in the Grade I Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28, paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.40.

Owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman, the 4-year-old colt by Any Given Saturday got his fourth win from eight starts and with the winner’s share of $120,000, pushed his earnings over the million dollar mark to $1,070,675.

“He’s a damn good horse,” said Pegram. “Martin had to use him to get a position and when he pushed the button, he went. This horse has proven he can ship, so we know he can travel and he likes it here. It’s nice to have options.”

Garcia, who was up for the Clark victory, has now won three races with Hoppertunity.

“I just let him break and I saved ground on the rail,” he said. “I knew they were going fast up front so I just had to wait. I expected that and more.”

In a driving finish, Appealing Tale, ridden by Victor Espinoza, finished second, a neck in front of Blue Tone. Off at 12-1, Appealing Tale paid $9.00 and $7.60.

Also …

Lea swung five-wide for a sustained drive down the middle of the track to catch stubborn long-shot Confrontation and win the $150,000 Hal’s Hope Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla. Lea was making his first start since being sidelined with an illness following a victory in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream last February. He became just the second repeat winner of the Hal’s Hope with the victory by a half-length. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Lea ran a mile in 1:35.460 and paid $4, $2.80 and $2.10 in the Grade III race. … Aqueduct canceled the Saturday program, the fourth straight card impacted by the cold snap in the New York area. The Wednesday and Thursday cards were called off. The track ran only two races on Friday before halting the remainder.